The Federal Government has faulted comments by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on the funding of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, insisting that the project followed due process and attracted strong international financing interest.
This follows the lawmaker’s claim that the project’s procurement and financing lacked transparency, an assertion the government described as misleading and damaging to the integrity of officials overseeing the highway’s delivery.
Speaking at a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway underwent all statutory procurement processes, including due advertisement, stakeholder engagement, and environmental and social impact assessments, in line with the Public Procurement Act and international funding requirements.
The minister revealed that international financiers, including the Dutch Development Bank, independently assessed Section One of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and concluded that the project was properly packaged, executed to high technical standards, and undervalued.
He noted that the project later attracted oversubscription of over $100 million when presented to foreign financial institutions, underscoring strong investor confidence.
Umahi accused the senator of overlooking tangible federal projects in the South-East while focusing on political opposition, arguing that the lawmaker had failed to recognise extensive infrastructure investments approved by President Bola Tinubu for the region.
Listing several projects, Umahi cited the 123.5-kilometre Trans-Sahara Road linking Ebonyi, Enugu, Nasarawa, and Abuja, valued at ₦456 billion, with 50 per cent already paid.
He also referenced the Second Niger Bridge bypass, the Enugu–Abakaliki dual carriageway, the Enugu–Onitsha road reconstruction, the Enugu–Port Harcourt road, as well as multiple flyover projects in Enugu State.
According to him, criticism must be factual and responsible, warning that misleading public commentary undermines national unity and development.
Speaking on claims of marginalisation in the South-East, Umahi dismissed the narrative, saying the region has benefited substantially under the current administration, particularly through expanded road infrastructure, tax credit projects and direct federal funding.
He described President Bola Tinubu as inclusive and development-driven, noting that governors from the South-East had openly acknowledged and expressed satisfaction with the scale of ongoing federal projects in the zone.
Umahi also rejected calls for renewed separatist agitation, arguing that the inclusion of the South-East in national governance and infrastructure development had effectively removed the basis for such agitations.
He urged leaders in the region to speak out against misinformation and embrace constructive engagement rather than political antagonism, stressing that informed dialogue remains critical to national unity and progress.
“It is unfair to ignore visible projects on the ground and reduce everything to politics,” the minister said, adding that “the South-East has received significant attention under this administration, particularly in critical road infrastructure.
“By the directive of the president, we have written to EFCC and ICPC and we’ve given them all the projects from 2023, you know, as awarded, that they should go around the entire site and verify it. And I think ICPC has just completed theirs and I’m very happy for that because there’s nothing to hide.
“And that gives credibility, you know, to the administration of Mr. President. There is no secret camp and there is nothing to hide. So if you have any petition about any of our projects, please write to ICPC or EFCC because most of them have been on site and they will be able to figure out what we are testing,” Umahi added.
